Gum Paste Sugar Flowers

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Frostings fillings toppings Medium

Sugar flowers are shaped by hand from a pliable gum paste, thinned at the edges, and air-dried until firm and delicate. This is our home-baker gum paste for simple five-petal blossoms; it dries hard enough to sit on a cake for days and is made with no raw egg. Makes 12 flowers in about 2 hr 38 min.

Prep 60 min

Cook 8 min

Cooling 1 hr 30 min

Total 2 hr 38 min

Yield 12 flowers

Diet Dairy free, Gluten free

Ingredients

Adjust yield

flowers

3 ⅓ cups (400 g)powdered sugar, sifted
3 tbsp (25 g)cornstarch
2 ¾ tsp (8 g)cMC (tylose) powder
¼ oz (10 g)white vegetable shortening
1 ½ tbsp (20 ml)light corn syrup
2 ½ tbsp (40 ml)warm water
1 pinchgel food coloring, optional
2 ½ tbsp (20 g)cornstarch, for dusting

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Sift the powdered sugar, cornstarch and CMC powder into a bowl and whisk well.
Stir the corn syrup into the warm water until blended, then add it with the shortening to the dry mix. Stir with a fork until it forms shaggy clumps.
Knead on a work surface lightly rubbed with shortening for 5 to 8 minutes until the paste is smooth, stretchy and no longer sticky. Knead in a tiny dab of gel color now if you want tinted flowers.
Wrap tightly in plastic, seal in a zip bag and rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour (or overnight) so the CMC fully hydrates.
Pinch off a hazelnut-size piece, keep the rest covered, and roll it very thin on a board dusted with cornstarch. Cut five petals with a small cutter, or cut them freehand with a craft knife.
Thin the petal edges by rubbing them with a ball tool on a foam pad, then overlap the petals in a ring with a dab of water and press the center closed with the ball tool.
Rest each blossom in a curved former (an egg-carton cup works) for 24 hours at room temperature, away from humidity, until completely dry and firm.
Attach to a cake with a dot of royal icing or a little melted white chocolate.

Tips

Work in small pieces and keep the rest of the paste wrapped; gum paste skins over in minutes.
Dry flowers in a low-humidity room; a humid kitchen turns them soft and sticky.
Wire stems are decoration only, so remove wired flowers before serving.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make gum paste sugar flowers?

Plan on 60 minutes of prep and 8 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 12 flowers.

How should I store gum paste sugar flowers?

Store fully dried flowers in a cardboard box lined with tissue at room temperature, away from moisture, for up to 3 months. Never refrigerate.

Can I make gum paste sugar flowers ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

152 Calories / serving

0.8g Fat

37.0g Carbs

0.0g Protein

33.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~1824 cal · 10g fat · 444g carbs · 0g protein · 401g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Made with VanillaGoods

Browse available VanillaGoods products below. Check each product's origin and form against the ingredient list; these recommendations do not change the recipe's quantities or preparation method.